Style of governance
There are three things that establish a government in the eyes of the people – its work, its ethos and its style of governance. The current government, despite the delays and lackadaisical pace, has no doubt carried out a considerable body of work, particularly in the economic sector. It has set a high ethical standard; people are relieved to have left behind the entangled interests and corruption of the fallen dynasty of self-styled reformists. As for its style of governance, there have been many complaints and some people appear to be annoyed by the arrogance and self-satisfaction displayed by several government ministers in their television appearances. Consider, for example, the statement by Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras in reference to this week’s terrible ecological disasters in Cassandra and Laconia. He said «the state mechanism functioned effectively and did everything possible.» When everything had been burned to cinders and the peninsula of Cassandra had become a lunar landscape, the least he could have done was reiterate the humble apology made by Macedonia-Thrace Minister Giorgos Kalatzis for the state’s failure to prevent the tragedy. Of course, natural disasters can’t always be prevented, even in the most advanced countries, but one can’t imagine an American or Australian minister coming out on television and boasting, as Polydoras did, about effectively dealing with the situation. One minister has admitted in private that the absence of a strong opposition has led to that self-satisfaction. We very much fear that what has been lost in this country is a sense of moderation and self-knowledge, at least on the part of certain ministers.
